Flyer assembly

ABSTRACT

An improved flyer assembly for twisting a strand of material in either of two directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool includes a pair of capstans which are rotated about a central axis of the flyer assembly to twist the strand. A floating guide wheel or roller guides the strand from the central axis of the flyer to one of the capstans. Since the direction of rotation of both the flyer assembly and the capstans is reversed when the twist of the strand is reversed, the guide wheel is freely movable between a first position in which the strand is initially fed to one side of a capstan and a second position in which the strand is initially fed to the opposite side of the capstan. If the strand should break during a twisting operation, the end portion of the length of strand leading to the spool is held against one of the capstans by a retainer roller to prevent spilloff and whipping movement of the strand.

Ramunas -451 Apr. 24,1973

[ FLYER ASSEMBLY Valdas Ohio [75] Inventor: S. Ramunas, Cleveland,

[73] Assignee: The Warner 8: Swasey Company,

Cleveland, Ohio 22 Filed: May6, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 140,818

[52] US. Cl ..57/68, 57/115 [51] Int. Cl. .DOlh 7/26 [58] Field of Search 57/687l, 115-117 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Attorney-Yount and Tarolli [5 7 ABSTRACT An improved flyer assembly for twisting a strand of material in either of two directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool includes a pair of capstans which are rotated about a central axis of the flyer assembly to twist the strand. A floating guide wheel or roller guides the strand from the central axis of the flyer to one of the capstans. Since the direction of rotation of both the flyer assembly and the capstans is reversed when the twist of the strand is reversed, the guide wheel is freely movable between a first position in which the strand is initially fed to one side of a capstan and a second position in which the strand is initially fed to the opposite side of the capstan. If the strand should break during a twisting operation, the end portion of the length of strand leading to the spool is held against one of the capstans by a retainer roller to prevent spilloff and whipping movement of the strand.

16 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,788,632 4/1957 Dewhirst ..57/68 3,345,810 10/1967 Wiesnagrotzki et al. ..57/68 1,925,172 9/1933 Brownell ..57/70 2,227,699 1/1941 Brownell ..57/68 X 2,773,344 12/1956 Van Hook ..57/68 X Patnted April 24, 1973 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 Vow/Is AAMUA/AS 5r ATTOR/V'YJ Patented A ril 24, 1973 3,728,854

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JITOR/VEKS FLYER ASSEMBLY This invention relates generally to an improved flyer assembly and more particularly to a flyer assembly having improved strand guide and retaining assemblies.

Strands of wire and other materials are commonly twisted in either the S or Z directions by reversing the direction of rotation of a flyer assembly. Such a flyer assembly may include a plurality of capstans which are rotated in a first direction about their central axes as a Z twist is formed in the strand and in the opposite direction during the formation of an S twist in the strand. Since the direction of rotation of the capstans is reversed when the direction of twist in the strand is reversed, the direction in which the strand is fed to and from the capstans must also be reversed when the direction of twist is reversed. Therefore, the strand is wound in one direction around the capstans during formation of a Z twist and is wound in the opposite direction about the capstans during the formation of an S twist.

In a known flyer assembly, a changing of the direction in which the strand is wound about the capstans involves changing the position of a guide wheel relative to the capstans. The changing of the position of this guide wheel is a relatively complicated procedure which involves the disconnecting of a plurality of fasteners and a physical dismounting and remounting of the guide wheel. Of course, this requires interrupting operation of the flyer assembly for a relatively long period of time whenever the direction of strand twist is to be reversed.

During the twisting of a strand of wire or other material, the strand may break. When this occurs, the high speed rotation of the flyer assembly and takeup spool causes the end of the strand to whip around during continued rotation of the flyer assembly and takeup spool. This is not only dangerous but can also result in the wire becoming entangled in a maze around the twister apparatus. The cutting away of this maze of entangled wire is a time consuming process which substantially impedes efficient operation of the twister apparatus.

The present invention provides an improved flyer as sembly having a floating guide wheel which moves in an unrestrained manner between a first position conducting a strand to one side of a capstan and a second position in which the guide wheel conducts the strand to the opposite side of the capstan to facilitate changing the direction in which the strand is wound around the capstans when the direction of strand twist is to be reversed. Since the guide wheel moves in an unrestrained manner, whenever the direction of twist of the strand is to be reversed it is merely necessary to slide the guide wheel from one position to another as the direction in which the strand is wrapped around the capstans is reversed. In addition, the flyer assembly includes a retainer roller which presses the strand against one of the capstans to prevent spilloff and whipping of the strand in the event the strand should break during a twisting operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved flyer assembly having a floatin g or unrestrained guide wheel which facilitates setting up of the flyer assembly to twist a strand in either one of two directions.

and improved flyer assembly having a roller which presses a portion of the strand against the capstan to hold the strand in the event it should break during a twisting operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved flyer assembly for twisting a strand of material in either one of two directions and which includes a guide assembly for guiding movement of a strand of material to a first side of a capstan when the strand of material is being twisted in one direction and for guiding movement of the strand of material to a second side of a capstan when a strand of material is being twisted in the opposite direction and wherein a support arrangement enables the guide assembly to move in an unrestrained manner between the first and second positions to facilitate a reversal in the direction of twisting the strand.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved flyer assembly for twisting a strand of material and which includes a capstan against which a portion of the strand is pressed by a retainer member to hold the strand against undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand during a twisting operatlOn.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a wire twister having a flyer assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating the relationship between a pair of capstans, a floating guide wheel for conducting a strand of material to the capstans, and a retainer roller which holds an end portion of a strand of material against whipping movement in the event of a break in the strand; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, further illustrating the relationship between the floating guide wheel and the capstans of the flyer assembly.

A twister assembly 10 for twisting wire and other material into strands is illustrated schematically in FIG. 11. The twister assembly 10 includes a guide or lay plate 12 through which a plurality of wires 14 extend from a suitable creel. A secondary or pre-twister assembly 16 twists the wires 1A in either the S or Z directions to form a strand 20. To enable a neutral or dead" strand to be produced, the secondary twister l6 overtwists the wires in the strand 20. The strand is then partially untwisted or relaxed by a primary or main twister 24 which neutralizes or removes any inherent tendency for the strand to twist upon being released to thereby provide a neutral or dead strand in a manner similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,526,247.

The primary twister 24 includes a flyer assembly 26 which is rotated in either one of two directions to twist the strand 20 and to thereafter wind the strand on a take-up spool or reel 30. Although the primary twister 24 and flyer assembly 26 can be driven directly, in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 the take-up reel 30 is driven by a motor 32 to drive the primary twister 24 and flyer 26 in a known manner.

A control assembly 34 provides a precise control of the velocity ratio between the pretwister l6 and primary twister 24. The control assembly 34 is constructed in the manner disclosed and claimed in application Ser. No. 143,416, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,271 filed by Charles A. Wall and F. Norman Lutz on May 14, 1971 and entitled Wire Twister.

During operation of the flyer assembly 26, the strand is held and twisted by rotation of a main capstan 40 and a secondary capstan 42 about the central axis 46 (FIG. 1) of the primary twister 24 and flyer assembly 26. It should be noted that the strand 20 moves through the primary twister 24 along a path which is coincident with the central axis 46 of the primary twister and takeup spool 30. As the flyer assembly 26 is rotated about its central axis 46, the capstans 40 and 42 grip or hold the strand 20 so that it is twisted as the flyer assembly rotates. In addition to being rotated about the central axis 46 of the flyer assembly 26, the capstans 40 and 42 are also rotated about their own central axes to feed the strand 20 from the capstans to a flyer arm 50. The flyer arm 50 rotates about the central axis of the spool 30 to wind the twisted strand 20 on the spool.

In the specific preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, the flyer assembly 26 and primary twister 24 are driven in a known manner by rotation of the spool 30. Thus, the spool 30 is driven by the motor 32 to pull the strand 20 from the flyer arm 50. As the strand 20 is pulled from the flyer arm 50, the flyer arm applies a torque or turning moment to a base 54 of the flyer assembly 26 to rotate the base of the flyer as sembly about the central axis 46. A drive train 56 (FIG. 1) is driven by this rotational movement of the base 54 to rotate the main or central capstan relative to the base 54 and feed the strand 20 from the capstans 40 and 42 to the flyer arm 50.

Since the strand 20 is twisted by rotation of the base 54 and capstans 40 and 42 about the central axis 46 of the spindle 24, the direction of rotation of the base 54 and takeup spool 30 is reversed when the direction of twist of the strand 20 is to be reversed. Thus, the base 54 and capstans 40 and 42 are rotated in one direction about the central axis 46 when a Z twist is to be applied to the strand 20 and in the opposite direction when an S twist is to be applied to the strand. Of course, reversing the direction of rotation of the base 54 reverses the direction in which the drive train 56 is driven. Reversing the direction in which the drive train 56 is driven results in a reversal of direction in which he capstan 40 is driven relative to the base 54 by the drive tram.

Since the direction of rotation of the capstan 40 is reversed with a change in the direction of twist of the strand 20, the direction in which the strand 20 is wrapped around the capstan 40 must be reversed in order to provide for a proper feeding action to and from the capstan. Thus, when the strand 20 is twisted in one direction, the capstan 40 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) by a drive shaft 58 (FIG. 3) connected to the drive train 56. The strand 20 then is fed from the capstan 40 along a path indicated in dashed-dot lines and through a passage 60 to the flyer arm (FIGS. 2 and 3). However, when the direction of twist in the strand 20 is reversed, the drive train 56 rotates the capstan 40 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) so that the strand 20 is fed along the path indicated in dashed-double dot lines and through a passage 62 to the flyer arm 50.

The capstan 42 is freely rotatable on bearings 66 (FIG. 3) so that it is rotated by the strand 20 in the same direction that the main capstan 40 is rotated by the drive train 56. Thus, when the flyer arm 50 is rotated under the influence of the take-up spool 30, the drive train 56 (FIG. 1) rotates main capstan 40. The main capstan 40 pulls the strand 20 around the secondary or idler capstan 42 to drive the secondary capstan in the same direction.

From the foregoing it is apparent that rotation of the main and secondary capstans 40 and 42 with the base 54 about the central axis 46 of the flyer assembly 26 twists the strand 20. Simultaneously with this rotational movement of the capstans 40 and 42 about the axis 46, the main capstan 40 is rotated relative to the base 54 about its central axis (which is coincident with the axis 46) to pull or feed the strand 20 through the primary twister 24 to the flyer arm 50. When the direction of strand twist is to be reversed, the direction of rotation of the flyer assembly 26 is reversed. Reversing the direction of rotation of the flyer assembly 26 reverses the direction in which the capstans 40 and 42 rotate relative to the base 54.

As the strand 20 is pulled from the primary twister 24 it passes over a floating guide wheel or roller 74 to the secondary capstan 42. The strand is wrapped part-way around the secondary capstan 42 and then extends over to the primary capstan 40. After the strand has been turned around the primary capstan 40, it is wound back around the secondary capstan 42. As the strand passes between the primary and secondary capstans 40 and 42, it moves along the paths indicated with dashed and triple-dot lines in FIGS. 2 and 3. After being wrapped for a plurality of turns around the capstans 40 and 42, the strand 20 extends from the capstan 40 through one of the two passages 60 and 62 to the flyer arm 50.

Since the strand 20 must be wrapped around the capstans 40 and 42 in the same direction in which they are rotated about their central axes, the direction in which the strand is wrapped around the capstans must be reversed when the direction of rotation of the capstans is reversed. Thus, if the capstan 40 is being driven in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) relative to the base 54, the strand 20 moves from a central passage 78 which extends through the primary twister 24 and flyer assembly 26 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), across the floating guide roller 74 to the left-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the secondary capstan 42. This path of the strand 20 indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 with dashed-dot lines.

The strand 20 is then wound about the capstans 40 and 42 in their common direction of rotation (counterclockwise in the present example). Thus, the strand 20 is turned in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) about the secondary capstan 42. After extending around the secondary capstan 42 for approximately the strand 20 extends to the right-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the main capstan 40. The strand then extends around the main capstan 40 for approximately 180 in a counterclockwise direction to the lefthand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the main capstan. The strand then passes back to the left-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2 of the secondary capstan 42. After being wrapped around the primary and secondary capstans 40 and 42 for a number of times in this manner, the strand passes from a bottom or innermost groove 82 in the main capstan 40 to the passage 60.

When the direction of twist of the strand is reversed, the direction of rotation of the capstans 40 and 42 about their central axes is reversed. Thus in the example a reversal of strand twist would result in the capstans 40 and 42 being rotated in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) about their central axes. When this is to occur, the direction in which the strand 20 is wound about the capstans 40 and 42 is reversed.

When the capstans 40 and 42 are rotated in a clockwise direction, the strand 20 is wound so as to extend from a central passage 78 to the right-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the secondary capstan 42 along the path indicated in dashed-double dot lines in FIG. 2. The strand then passes in a clockwise'direction about the secondary capstan 42 to the left-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the main capstan 40. The strand then passes around the main capstan 40 in a clockwise direction to the right-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the capstan and back to the right-hand side of the secondary capstan 42. After the strand 20 has been wrapped for a plurality of times about the capstans 40 and 42 in this manner, the strand extends from the lefthand side (FIG. 2) of the main capstan 40 through the passage 62 to the flyer arm 50.

Since the strand 20 moves from the passage 78 to the left-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the secondary capstan 42 when the strand 20 is being twisted in one direction and to the right-hand side of the capstan 42 when the strand is being twisted in the opposite direction, the free floating guide wheel 74 must be moved when the direction of strand twist is reversed. Thus, when the capstans 40 and 42 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) the guide wheel 74 is positioned to guide the strand 20 to the left-hand side of the capstan 42, along the path indicated by dashed and dot lines. When the guide wheel 74 is in this position (illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2), a circular groove 86 in the guide wheel is aligned with the central axis 46 of the passage 78 and main twister 24. The groove 86 engages the strand 20 and guides it axially and radially outwardly of the main capstan 40 toward the lefthand side of the secondary capstan 42.

Similarly, when the capstans 40 and 42 are rotated in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) the guide wheel 74 is positioned to guide the strand 20 to the right-hand side of the capstan 42, along the path indicated by dashed-double dot lines in FIG. 2. When the guide wheel 74 is in this position (illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 2) the circular groove 86 in the guide wheel engages the strand 20 at the central axis of the passage 78 and guides the strand axially and radially outwardly of the main capstan 40 to the right-hand side (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the secondary capstan 42. It should be noted that the guide wheel 74 is pivoted about the central axis 46 of the main capstan 42 as it moves between the positions shown in solid and dashed lines in FIG. 2. This enables the groove 86 to be in alignment with the central axis 46 of the capstan 40 and flyer assembly 26 in both positions.

To enable the guide wheel 74 to be quickly moved between the positions shown in solid lines and dashed lines in FIG. 2 to facilitate reversal of a direction of twist in the strand 20, the guide wheel is mounted for unrestrained pivotal or rotational movement about the central axis of the tlyer assembly 26. Thus, the guide wheel 74 is mounted on an annular support member (see FIG. 3) which is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 58 by bearings 92. The guide wheel 74 is connected with the annular support member 90 by a mounting bracket 94.

Since the annular support member 90 is coaxial with the capstan 40 and the wheel groove 86 extends radially outwardly from the center of the capstan 40 (see FIG. 2), the guide wheel 74 is freely movable between a first position (shown in solid lines in FIG. 2) in which it conducts the strand 20 to the left-hand side of the secondary capstan 42 a second position (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2) in which the guide wheel 74 directs the strand to the right-hand side of the secondary capstan 42. This unrestrained mounting arrangement for the guide wheel 74 enables the flyer assembly to be quickly set-up to provide either a Z twist or an S twist in the strand 20. The guide wheel 74 is fixedly connected to the annular support member 90 by the bracket 94 and is freely rotatable about a support axle or shaft 98 under the influence of the strand 20 as the strand moves radially outwardly of the main capstan 40.

If the strand 20 should break during operation of the twister assembly 10, the high-speed rotation of the flyer arm 50 and spool 30 tends to whip the free end of the strand around. As the free end of the strand whips around, it may form a tangled maze or jungle of wire around the twister assembly 10 and take-up spool 30. This tangled maze must be removed from the twister assembly 10 before twisting operations can again be resumed. Of course, the whipping or rapidly moving end of a broken strand 20 represents a substantial danger to any personnel who may be in the area of the twister assembly 10.

To prevent the free end of the strand 20 from whipping upon the occurrence of a break in the strand, a retainer assembly (FIG. 2) presses a portion of the strand 20 against the main capstan 40. By so gripping the strand 20, the strand is held against whipping movement in the event that a break should occur in the strand between the retainer assembly 110 and pre-twister 16. The retainer assembly 110 is advantageously mounted on the base 54 adjacent to a lowermost portion of the main capstan 40 so that the strand is pressed against the arcuate surface of the lowermost groove 82 (see FIG. 3) in the capstan 40. With the retainer assembly 110 disposed in this position, the free end of the strand 20 will be gripped even though a short length of the strand is wound on the spool 30 after the strand breaks.

The retainer assembly 110 includes a roller or wheel 1 12 having a metallic body or center portion 1 14 with a resilient rubber rim or tire 116. The tire 116 extends into the groove 82 in the main capstan 40 to press the strand 20 against the inner or bottom surface of the groove 82. During rotation of the capstan 40 and feeding of the strand 20, the roller 112 is rotated about its central axis by engagement with the strand.

The roller 112 is moved radially relative to the main capstan 40 by an adjustment device 120 to adjust the pressure with which the strand is pressed against the main capstan. The adjustment device 120 includes an eccentric 122 illustrated on the right-hand side of the flyer assembly (as viewed in FIG. 2) for a second retaining roller which has been omitted for purposes of clarity of illustration. Rotational or pivotal movement of the eccentric 122 moves the associated roller 112 relative to the main capstan 40 in a known manner to thereby adjust the pressure with which the resilient rubber tire or rim 1 16 engages the strand 20. Of course, the roller 112 could be moved by adjustment devices other than the eccentric 122. Although only a single roller 112 has been shown in FIG. 2, it should be understood that a second roller could be provided if desired adjacent to the opposite side of the capstan 40.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the flyer assembly 26 includes a floating guide wheel 74 which is freely movable relative to a central axis of the capstan 40. This enables the guide wheel 78 to move quickly between a first position conducting a strand to one side of the capstan 42 and a second position conducting the strand 20 to the opposite side of the capstan. In addition, the flyer assembly 26 includes a retainer roller 1 12 which presses a portion of the strand 20 against the capstan 40 to prevent spilloff and whipping of the strand in the event it breaks during a twisting operation.

Having described a specific preferred embodiment of the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A flyer assembly for use in twisting a strand of material in either one of two directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool, said flyer assembly comprising rotatable arm means for delivering the strand of material to the spool, and twister means for twisting the strand of material in a selected one of the two directions and for conducting the twisted strand of material from a central axis of said flyer assembly to said arm means, said twister means including a first capstan having an arcuate peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the twisted strand, base means for supporting said first capstan for rotation about the central axis of said flyer assembly, drive means for rotating said base means in a first direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in one of the two directions and for rotating said base means in a second direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in the other of the two directions, guide means for guiding movement of the strand of material to said first capstan along a first path when the strand of material is being twisted in the one direction and for guiding movement of the strand of material to the first capstan along a second path when the strand of material is being twisted in the opposite direction, and support means supporting said guide means for unrestrained movement relative to said base means between a first position in which the strand of material moves along the first path to initially engage said first capstan on a first side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in one direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly and a second position in which the strand of material moves along the second path to initially engage said first capstan on a second side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in another direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly.

2. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes a support member, a guide wheel mounted on said support member, and bearing means for supporting said support member and guide wheel for unrestrained movement about the central axis of said flyer assembly.

3. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bearing means supports said guide wheel for pivotal movement along an arcuate path which is coaxial with the central axis of said first capstan.

4. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a second capstan mounted on said base means for rotation therewith about the central axis of said flyer assembly, said first path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan to a first side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan and from a second side of said second capstan to the first side of said first capstan, said second path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan at an acute angle to the first path to the second side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan, and from the first side of said second capstan to the second side of said first capstan.

5. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes means for rotating said first capstan in a first direction relative to said base means during a twisting of the strand of material in the one direction and for rotating said first capstan in a second direction relative to said base means during a twisting of the strand of material in the other direction.

6. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including retaining means for pressing a portion of the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan as the strand of material is conducted from the central axis of said first capstan to said arm means to grip the strand of material and hold it against undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand of material.

7. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 6 further including means for adjusting the pressure with'which said retaining means presses a portion'of the strand against the peripheral surface of said first capstan.

8. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said retaining means includes a roller having a peripheral surface disposed in engagement with the strand of material, and said means for adjusting the pressure with which said retaining means presses the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan includes eccentric means for moving said roller toward and away from the peripheral surface of said first capstan.

9. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a guide surface which is disposed in substantial alignment with a central axis of said flyer assembly and said support means includes means supporting said guide surface for pivotal move ment about the central axis of said flyer. assembly between the first and second positions.

10. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first capstan is mounted in a coaxial relationship with the central axis of said flyer assembly and said guide surface is at least partially disposed inwardly of the peripheral surface of said first capstan.

11. A flyer assembly for use in twisting a strand of material and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool, said flyer assembly comprising rotatable arm means for delivering the strand of material to the spool, and twister means for twisting the strand of material and for conducting the strand of material from a central axis of said flyer assembly to said arm means, said twister means including a first capstan having a peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the strand of material and retainer means for pressing a portion of the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan to grip the strand of material between said retainer means and said first capstan to hold the strand of material against undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand of material.

12. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said retainer means includes a gripper surface which engages the strand of material to press it against the peripheral surface of said first capstan and adjustable means for moving said gripper surface toward and away from the peripheral surface of said first capstan to adjust the pressure with which said retainer means presses the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan.

13. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said retainer means is a wheel and said adjustable means includes eccentric means for moving said wheel radially to adjust the pressure with which the strand of material is pressed against the peripheral surface of said first capstan.

14. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said twister means further includes a second capstan having a peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the strand of material and guide means for guiding movement of the strand of material along a first path extending from the central axis of said flyer assembly to the peripheral surface of one of said capstans when the strand of material is being twisted in a first direction by operation of said flyer assembly and for guiding movement of the strand of material along a second path extending from the central axis of said flyer assembly to the peripheral surface of'said one of said capstans at an acute angle to the first path when the strand of material is being twisted in a second direction by operation of said flyer assembly.

15. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said twister means further includes support means for supporting said guide means for unrestrained movement along a third path extending transversely to said first and second paths to enable said guide means to engage the strand of material when it is moving along either of said first and second paths.

16. A flyer assembly for use in twisting a strand of material in either one oftwo directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool, said flyer assembly comprising rotatable arm means for delivering the strand of material to the spool, and twister means for twisting the strand of material in a selected one of the two directions and for conducting the twisted strand of material from a central axis of said flyer assembly to said arm means, said twister means including a base rotatable about a central axis of said flyer assembly, a first capstan mounted on said base for rotation therewith about the central axis of said flyer assembly, said first capstan having an arcuate peripheral surface for en aging at least one turn of the twisted strand, a secon capstan mounted on said base for rotation therewith about the central axis of said flyer assembly drive menas for rotating said base in a first direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in one of two directions and for rotating said base in a second direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in the other of the two directions, said drive means including means for rotating said first capstan in a first direction relative to said base during a twisting of the strand of material in the one direction and for rotating said first capstan in a second direction relative to said base during a twisting of the strand of material in the other direction, guide means for guiding movement of the strand of material to said first capstan along a first path when the strand of material is being twisted in one direction and for guiding movement of the strand of material to the first capstan along a second path when the strand of material is being twisted in the opposite direction, said first path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan to a first side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan and from a second side of said second capstan to the first side of said first capstan, said second path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan at an acute angle to the first path to the second side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan, and from the first side of said second capstan to the second side of said first capstan, support means supporting said guide means for unrestrained movement relative to said base between a first position in which the strand of material moves along the first path to initially engage said first capstan on a first side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in one direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly and a second position in which the strand of material moves along the second path to initially engage said first capstan on a second side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in another direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly, said guide means including a guide wheel, said support means including a support member and bearing means for supporting said support member and guide wheel for unrestrained pivotal movement about an arcuate path which is coaxial with the central axis of said flyer assembly, retaining means for pressing a portion of the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan as the strand of material is conducted from the central axis of said first capstan to said arm means to grip the strand of material and hold it agianst undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand of material, and means for adjusting the pressure with which said retaining means presses a portion of the strand against the peripheral surface of said first capstan. 

1. A flyer assembly for use in twisting a strand of material in either one of two directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool, said flyer assembly comprising rotatable arm means for delivering the strand of material to the spool, and twister means for twisting the strand of material in a selected one of the two directions and for conducting the twisted strand of material from a central axis of said flyer assembly to said arm means, said twister means including a first capstAn having an arcuate peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the twisted strand, base means for supporting said first capstan for rotation about the central axis of said flyer assembly, drive means for rotating said base means in a first direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in one of the two directions and for rotating said base means in a second direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in the other of the two directions, guide means for guiding movement of the strand of material to said first capstan along a first path when the strand of material is being twisted in the one direction and for guiding movement of the strand of material to the first capstan along a second path when the strand of material is being twisted in the opposite direction, and support means supporting said guide means for unrestrained movement relative to said base means between a first position in which the strand of material moves along the first path to initially engage said first capstan on a first side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in one direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly and a second position in which the strand of material moves along the second path to initially engage said first capstan on a second side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in another direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly.
 2. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes a support member, a guide wheel mounted on said support member, and bearing means for supporting said support member and guide wheel for unrestrained movement about the central axis of said flyer assembly.
 3. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bearing means supports said guide wheel for pivotal movement along an arcuate path which is coaxial with the central axis of said first capstan.
 4. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a second capstan mounted on said base means for rotation therewith about the central axis of said flyer assembly, said first path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan to a first side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan and from a second side of said second capstan to the first side of said first capstan, said second path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan at an acute angle to the first path to the second side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan, and from the first side of said second capstan to the second side of said first capstan.
 5. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes means for rotating said first capstan in a first direction relative to said base means during a twisting of the strand of material in the one direction and for rotating said first capstan in a second direction relative to said base means during a twisting of the strand of material in the other direction.
 6. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including retaining means for pressing a portion of the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan as the strand of material is conducted from the central axis of said first capstan to said arm means to grip the strand of material and hold it against undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand of material.
 7. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 6 further including means for adjusting the pressure with which said retaining means presses a portion of the strand against the peripheral surface of said first capstan.
 8. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said retaining means includes a roller having a peripheral surface disposed in engagement with the strand of material, and said means for adjusting the pressure with which said retaining means presses the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan includes eccentric meaNs for moving said roller toward and away from the peripheral surface of said first capstan.
 9. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a guide surface which is disposed in substantial alignment with a central axis of said flyer assembly and said support means includes means supporting said guide surface for pivotal movement about the central axis of said flyer assembly between the first and second positions.
 10. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first capstan is mounted in a coaxial relationship with the central axis of said flyer assembly and said guide surface is at least partially disposed inwardly of the peripheral surface of said first capstan.
 11. A flyer assembly for use in twisting a strand of material and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool, said flyer assembly comprising rotatable arm means for delivering the strand of material to the spool, and twister means for twisting the strand of material and for conducting the strand of material from a central axis of said flyer assembly to said arm means, said twister means including a first capstan having a peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the strand of material and retainer means for pressing a portion of the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan to grip the strand of material between said retainer means and said first capstan to hold the strand of material against undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand of material.
 12. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said retainer means includes a gripper surface which engages the strand of material to press it against the peripheral surface of said first capstan and adjustable means for moving said gripper surface toward and away from the peripheral surface of said first capstan to adjust the pressure with which said retainer means presses the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan.
 13. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said retainer means is a wheel and said adjustable means includes eccentric means for moving said wheel radially to adjust the pressure with which the strand of material is pressed against the peripheral surface of said first capstan.
 14. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said twister means further includes a second capstan having a peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the strand of material and guide means for guiding movement of the strand of material along a first path extending from the central axis of said flyer assembly to the peripheral surface of one of said capstans when the strand of material is being twisted in a first direction by operation of said flyer assembly and for guiding movement of the strand of material along a second path extending from the central axis of said flyer assembly to the peripheral surface of said one of said capstans at an acute angle to the first path when the strand of material is being twisted in a second direction by operation of said flyer assembly.
 15. A flyer assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said twister means further includes support means for supporting said guide means for unrestrained movement along a third path extending transversely to said first and second paths to enable said guide means to engage the strand of material when it is moving along either of said first and second paths.
 16. A flyer assembly for use in twisting a strand of material in either one of two directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool, said flyer assembly comprising rotatable arm means for delivering the strand of material to the spool, and twister means for twisting the strand of material in a selected one of the two directions and for conducting the twisted strand of material from a central axis of said flyer assembly to said arm means, said twister means including a base rotatable about a central axis of said flyer assembly, a first capstaN mounted on said base for rotation therewith about the central axis of said flyer assembly, said first capstan having an arcuate peripheral surface for engaging at least one turn of the twisted strand, a second capstan mounted on said base for rotation therewith about the central axis of said flyer assembly drive menas for rotating said base in a first direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in one of two directions and for rotating said base in a second direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly to twist the strand of material in the other of the two directions, said drive means including means for rotating said first capstan in a first direction relative to said base during a twisting of the strand of material in the one direction and for rotating said first capstan in a second direction relative to said base during a twisting of the strand of material in the other direction, guide means for guiding movement of the strand of material to said first capstan along a first path when the strand of material is being twisted in one direction and for guiding movement of the strand of material to the first capstan along a second path when the strand of material is being twisted in the opposite direction, said first path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan to a first side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan and from a second side of said second capstan to the first side of said first capstan, said second path extending radially outwardly from the central axis of said first capstan at an acute angle to the first path to the second side of said second capstan, part way around said second capstan, and from the first side of said second capstan to the second side of said first capstan, support means supporting said guide means for unrestrained movement relative to said base between a first position in which the strand of material moves along the first path to initially engage said first capstan on a first side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in one direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly and a second position in which the strand of material moves along the second path to initially engage said first capstan on a second side thereof during rotation of said first capstan in another direction about the central axis of said flyer assembly, said guide means including a guide wheel, said support means including a support member and bearing means for supporting said support member and guide wheel for unrestrained pivotal movement about an arcuate path which is coaxial with the central axis of said flyer assembly, retaining means for pressing a portion of the strand of material against the peripheral surface of said first capstan as the strand of material is conducted from the central axis of said first capstan to said arm means to grip the strand of material and hold it agianst undesired movement in the event of a break in the strand of material, and means for adjusting the pressure with which said retaining means presses a portion of the strand against the peripheral surface of said first capstan. 